The Arabist

The Arabist

By Issandr El Amrani and friends.

The talk of the town

A conversation I had last night about Cairo's private schools:

Me: When does school start again?
Kid: In September.
Me: Will it be mostly the same people who were in your class last year?
Kid: No some people have left.
Mother: [Interjecting] Actually there's a rather suspicious number of people who have switched to the Cairo American College (the biggest American school in Cairo.)
Me: How come?
Mother: Because Hosni Mubarak's grandson is going there.
Me: Alaa's son?
Mother: Yes.
Me: And people are moving to CAC to make sure their children get to know him?
Mother:
Looks like it.
Me: [Perplexed] So basically it means that these people, the country's elite, still think that in 15-20 years time it might still be an advantage to be close to the Mubarak family?
Mother: Well, yes -- look at the elite today, they all went to school with each other.
Me: [Excitedly] But that probably means they think Gamal Mubarak will be the next president!
Mother: Well...